There has been a dispute between the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and the country’s Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe for the past one year.
ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2024 Moved to South Africa: The ICC decided to suspend the Sri Lanka Cricket Board during the World Cup. After the team’s poor performance in the World Cup, the Sri Lankan Sports Minister dismissed the entire board. Considering the government’s interference in such a situation, the ICC suspended Sri Lankan cricket. Now the ICC has given another big jolt to Sri Lankan cricket and shifted the ICC Under-19 World Cup to be held in 2024 from Sri Lanka to South Africa.
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In a unanimous decision, the ICC Board on Tuesday decided to shift the 2024 Men’s Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa. The ICC had earlier decided to temporarily suspend Sri Lankan cricket due to widespread government interference in the board’s administration and the ICC Board’s latest decision has been taken as a result.
According to the report, the development will not have an immediate impact on the day-to-day operations of cricket. The ICC Board agrees that the suspension will not disrupt cricket at all levels, including any bilateral and domestic series and tournaments. As far as the ICC’s annual funding is concerned, it will remain under control until the suspension is lifted.
Sri Lanka Cricket Board president Shammi Silva recently warned that the biennial tournament, scheduled for January 2024, is at risk of being moved out of the country unless the ICC is satisfied that the Sri Lankan government will not interfere with the board’s operations. has been According to the ICC constitution, the government cannot interfere in the functioning of the board and if it does, it is considered against the ICC constitution.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board and the country’s Sports Minister Roshan Ransinghe have been at loggerheads for the past year, with Ransinghe accusing the cricket board of corruption and mismanagement, while Silva and the SLC accused him of meddling in cricket. Silva also reported government interference to the ICC in November 2022, prompting the ICC board to ask its vice-chairman Imran Khawaja to travel to Sri Lanka to establish the facts.
South Africa has recently been a favorite to host U-19 World Cup events. The country also hosted the Women’s Under-19 World Cup in 2023 and the inaugural edition of the Men’s Under-19 World Cup in 2020.
Two venues each in Benoni (Willowmoor Park A and B) and Potchefstroom (Absa Pook Oval and Senwes Park) are likely for the ICC Under-19 World Cup. Women’s competitions were organized at both these venues earlier this year. Let us tell you that the ICC U-19 World Cup 2024 was originally scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka between January 13 and February 4 and there is a possibility that the tournament will still be played during that period.
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